"Then what are you waiting for Kagome," said a hanyou standing before her momentarily. So clearly she gazed into his crystalline golden eyes, like pools of amber. Then he disappeared, before she could catch him within her grasp.
"I wait for you!" Kagome shouted out staring at a blinking red stoplight. "I wait for you! I wait forever!" She felt herself pick up a stone, and then she cast it. The dream fell apart like to the shattering of glass.
"Urg," said Kagome sitting up so suddenly that Shippo, whom had finally managed to crawl free again, was dumped off. Woefully, she rubbed her eyes and cast her gaze into the consuming glow of the dimly lit embers.
"Inuyasha," she muttered turning around so that she lay on her side. "I'm gonna get you tomorrow, you idiot."
"Silence Myouga," said Demon Inuyasha causing the demon flea to hide deep within the fur coat of the unnamed demon cat which Demon Inuyasha now kept by his side. "I don't want to hear any more complaining."
"But my Lord," said Myouga wailing. "Surely if you enter this castle Sesshomaru will…"
"He invited me here didn't he?" said Demon Inuyasha strolling up the castle gates. The demons acting as guards nodded and let him in.
Silenced, Myouga hid himself within Demon Inuyasha's robes while the threesome crossed the bulky drawbridge. At the other side, a group of young serving ladies as well as a group of demon soldiers awaited.
"Allow me to receive you in preparation for your brother, M'Lord," said a slim otter youkai bowing respectfully along with an assemblage of human-like youkai whose identity was difficult to discern from features alone. "Please, allow us to act as your humble retainers while you are lodged at this castle."
"Very well," Demon Inuyasha barked out forcefully.
The company of servants led him up along a wooden platform and into a longitudinal hall. He allowed himself to be led away to an elegant sideroom. It was not too sensational for something of its times. Tatami mats covered the floor. A few furniture tables could bee seen, as well as moveable screens and a mirror stand. In the center of the floor was a raised bed with a canopy for privacy. There, Demon Inuyasha held out his arms as the serving women silently undressed him. After dressing him in thick bathing robes, they bowed their heads respectfully and one by one left the room, all except for the otter youkai whom carried a lamp for him.
"This way my Lord," said the otter youkai bowing. She led him across the boarded walks to where a separate bathhouse lay.
For a long while, Demon Inuyasha cooled himself off in the warm, languid waters wondering idly where Myouga had gone off to. But the matter that returned to his mind the most was that of a certain someone whom he loved more than any other, and one whom he had managed to hurt more than most.
"Damn it!" thought Demon Inuyasha slamming his fist against the edge of the wooden tub causing the top foot of water to drain out. "I should have known better than to fall in love with a mortal, hanyou or not."
Redonning his protective bathrobes, Demon Inuyasha returned to his newly assigned chambers and accepted his freshly cleaned robes from a second servant lady. A third bound a pair of leather boots to his feet. Truthfully, Demon Inuyasha was not keen on the idea but he accepted the fact that he should not go about dressed like an outcast if he was going to try to live as a nobleman.
Finally, dinnertime came and instead of being served within his chambers, Inuyasha was called to the meeting hall which was the equivalent of a throne room. He carried himself inside as regally as he could muster yet looking somewhat less refined than Sesshomaru and much more jaunty. He sat down to his brother's right and looked down the hallway at nearly thirty astonished demon leaders. They ate dinner in silence and once all the dishes were cleared and the tables tucked away, important talk could commence.
"So, little brother," said Sesshomaru looking at him. "I see you have finally accepted my proposal to partake in my inheritance from father."
"I have Sesshomaru," said Demon Inuyasha softly.
"So where is your mate, Inuyasha?" said Sesshomaru not bothering to glance around. "Surely you have not abandoned her?"
"I have not abandoned her," repeated Demon Inuyasha gritting his teeth in annoyance. "The human side I was cast out from has woed her for years. I have simply left her to be with the better mate. She is a mere mortal, and a mortal mate is more befitting to her."
"I see," said Sesshomaru with a tone which clearly showed that he was amused with his misery. "So we are finally in agreement about such things."
Demon Inuyasha held his voice, still he would have preferred to try to rip out Sesshomaru's tongue for his haughty attitude.
"That leaves the issue of Naraku undecided," Sesshomaru continued. "Will you still seek vengeance for the dead preistess' sake?"
"I will not," said Demon Inuyasha loudly surprising him. "But I will do it for my sake, for his making sport of me. And I will do it for the sake of my human twin whom for so many years guided us both. He loved her dearly, although I did not."
A quarter hundred pairs of eyes focused themselves upon him and hushed whispers were felled by his strange words.
"If that is all Sesshomaru, I ask to be excused," said Demon Inuyasha scowling.
"Of course, Inuyasha," said Sesshomaru waving a hand to which several attending servants responded, coming up to guide Inuyasha. "A word of caution, however. Since you are unaccustomed to sustaining a separate physical form, be sure that you eat blood regularly to strengthen your body."
"I'll keep that in mind," said Demon Inuyasha folding his arms and partially ignoring him. "So long as I sustain the powers of the youkai felled and those of the Tetsusiaga," Demon Inuyasha thought to himself. "I should be okay."
Feeling dreary and exhausted, Demon Inuyasha turned in for the night. Seeking respite, he found only tormented dreams as he muttered in his sleep.
"Kagome," he mumbled falling off his headrest.
"Oh M'Lord," Myouga whom had returned from somewhere said tearing up. "What a sad fate has befallen you."
Far away in a castle hidden by several barriers, Naraku peered deep into a magical mirror held up by Kanna.
"So Inuyasha himself has finally become a prize worth absorbing," said Naraku creepily. "Well, he will just have to seek his vengeance on us won't he? Then he will be sure to encounter his worst nightmare." Kanna looked up with her creepy, creepy ghostly vacant eyes.
Three weeks had passed and there was no sign of Demon Inuyasha. Kagome was beginning to become distraught, to say the least. For the first week she had been crying on Human Inuyasha's shoulder or chasing Shippo demanding try to track him by scent three times every hour, or at least it seemed so to her friends. At last Kagome seemed to settle down but it only got worse. Instead of being overactive she became depressed and stopped interacting with everyone. It was really more than they could bear.
"Why don't you go down the well for a while?" suggested Miroku. "Surely you have lots of important test by now." He stopped talking when Kagome's eyes filled up with a wellspring of tears.
"How could have I been so concerned with tests all the time when I had him right here!" wailed Kagome. "I should have stayed with him every moment it was possible!"
"Oh please," said Human Inuyasha trying to trade her old tissue for a new one. "Do you think I, or he, would have liked you better if we were so dependent?"
Ultimately the group's only choice was to go on seeking Naraku, with Kagome hiccupping every now and again. It was at the end of exactly three weeks when they stumbled upon a largely ruined yet still inhabited village surrounded by lovely waterfalls.
"This village and the surrounding hills used to serve as place for meditation and we had many travelers come here on pilgrimage in search of balance and enlightenment. However, that was all before the many attacking demons came," said the Village Elder sadly. "Now, not only have the pilgrimages stopped but the villagers have also suffered. I am afraid we will not survive much longer if we do not flee these mountains," said the old man with a face most melancholy.
"Not to worry," said Miroku. "I assure you that my associates and I will take care of the demons for you so that you may feel in safety once again. All that I ask is food and lodging for the night, as well as a reasonable fee of course," said Miroku happily.
"Miroku," said Sango glaring. She was glad Kagome had told her the secret for breaking the curse on her long ago or else so would have blurted a few not-so-nice things out.
Since it was already getting late and they had traveled a great deal, the group settled down for the night. They had a nice little hut all too themselves which had been abandoned recently so they were relatively comfortable. A small woodstove in the corner provided heat instead of the usual firepit so they could take a bath and then go to sleep without getting woodsmoke in their hair. The luxury was pleasing especially to Kagome whom was used to modern conveniences and Human Inuyasha whom had recently been spoiled on them.
"Good night," said Kagome switching out the portable lantern/ flashlight she had brought with her. Sango watched curiously while both she and Inuyasha stacked their textbooks in a neat pile by the door.
"Do you both really go to the same school?" she whispered in the dark propped up on her stomach on her bedroll.
"Yes," Kagome whispered back to her. "It's really cool, I never would have imagined it. I'll tell you in the morning, all right?"
So Sango turned around and shut her eyes trying to sleep. Over in her corner, Kagome scooted towards her bedroll and her hand accidentally found its way to someone's arm.
"Oh, sorry Inuyasha," she said scooting away.
"Nonsense," said Human Inuyasha catching her hand and pulling her to the floor next to him. He whispered in her ear.
"Why are you avoiding me?" Kagome quivered.
"I don't know," Kagome said hoping the lie didn't show through her voice.
"Keh," said Human Inuyasha dragging her over to him so that her knees were seated upon his own, her wrists still bound tightly by his own.
"Don't lie to me Kagome. I know when you do. You shouldn't be afraid of loving me Kagome. I won't give up on getting our hanyou back if you don't."
"Thank you Inuyasha," said Kagome sitting backwards on the floor as Inuyasha let go.
"Keh," he said again before lifting up her bedcovers and tucking Kagome in. He took his small blanket and leant up against the wall.
"So I get first watch again tonight?" said Miroku dismally. He really wished that their watchdog was still around, that way he could get some sleep.
"Goodnight," said Kagome whispering across the darkness and the interior of the cabin fell silent.
Somewhere deep within the shady forest, so deep that not even the most brilliant of moonlight could not penetrate through, a white figure stood, her face emotionless. Hakudoshi, with his halberd staff (or some other random incarnation) smirked while he sliced open a bag made from the hides of youkai. Thousands of colorless demon centipedes swarmed out immediately and spread out into the forest as a giant wave.
"Humph," said Naraku's incarnation. "If we send out enough of these surely that monk and demon slayerwill come this way. However, perhaps it would be best if we staged the first attack right at their feet."
The morning sun was almost shiningduring those wee precarious hours that nobody likes being waken up at when a gaint boom was heard along with the wild clanging of bell and the terrified screams of villagers.
Sango and Kirara raced out of the hut, followed by Miroku, then Human Inuyasha and Kagome. Human Inuyasha was now wearing two swords, his fairly useless Tetsusiaga and a more usefulordinary sword. Much to their displeasure, a hoard of demon centipedes was trying to overrun and devour hapless humans, so Miroku raced up and started hacking the centipedes off afew recently fallen villagers whom could be saved. Inuyasha and Sango began hacking too, while Kagome shot her arrows. Kilala dragged the few villagers away so that Miroku could open his windtunnel and a few seconds later, every last demon in sight was gone.
"Thank you for saving us," one of the village men said kneeling and clasping his hands together.
"No need to thank us," said Miroku pseudo-humbly. He turned his attention to the matter at hand.
"Sango, I think you and I should go and make sure that all of the demons are gone. There may be other nests elsewhere."
"Yes," said Sango looking at Kilala. "Kilala, you stay with Kagome and Inuyasha. Help them protect the village if need be. Make sure he doesn't do anything rash."
"Hey!" said Inuyasha.
"Shippo, you stay too. Kagome, be careful," said Sango gently bidding her friend farewell.
"I will Sango!" said Kagome waving her hand as the two walked off into the forest. The two walked along in companionable silence for while, Miroku miraculously not try to feel Sango up while her long ponytail waved bouncily. The two had just rounded a corner and then what do you know a slap could be heard, when one of Naraku's insects crawled out from beneath a leaf in the forest canopy. He took one look down the path after Sango and Miroku and then flew away.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz," went the Saimyoushu flying back to Naraku's place. He landed outside a mountain temple which Naraku was defiling with his presence. It was a nice place after all, with a nice wide veranda overlooking a waterfall with pines.
"Excellent work," said Naraku to the insect. "Tell Kanna and (whomever) to keep up the good work."
The insect of Hell flew off and disappeared into the forest once again.
Somewhere nearby, Miroku was closing his windtunnel up once again. "It's funny," said he said outloud for Sango to hear. "It seems the further we go out in this direction the heavy the infestation becomes. Perhaps there is a very dense colony there."
"Perhaps," said Sango. "Although I've never heard of demon centipedes being so numerous before. Normally, they begin to kill each other if the numbers are this great."
"Well, we can only press forward if we are to find out," said Miroku. Oh how gullible is he, and Sango went with him.
A saimyoushu flew far overheard so that they could not see him. It landed on the balcony near Naraku and one beady crimson eye could be seen through a fountain of dreadlocks.
"It's time," said Naraku lifting his head and giving an evil smile.
"I wonder what's taking them so long," said Kagome nervously polishing the tips of her arrows until they gleamed, then putting them back in her quiver.
"Don't worry about them," said Human Inuyasha trying to stop her from panicking as usual. "I'm sure they're fine."
Kagome took some comfort in her words and returned to her work while Human Inuyasha leaned against the post with his hands in his sleeves. Shippo crawled up on his lap to watch Kagome too and Kilala was curled up on the floor by Inuyasha's knees. Everything was fine until Kilala's ears perked up and she ran to the door growling.
"What is it?" said Human Inuyasha standing up with his hand on his sword. Shippo fell off at his abrupt movement and after landing on his head, hid behind Huamn Inuyasha's knee.
"It…smells…like…Naraku!" Shippo stuttered out shivering.
"Naraku!" thought Human Inuyasha wildly knowing that he didn't stand a chance in this form. He back-kicked Shippo from behind him rolling him over to Kagome.
"Shippo, transform!" he commanded. "Take Kagome away!"
"It is far too late for that," came Naraku's creepy disembodied voice as his purple tendrils came shooting up through the floor all around the hut so that they were trapped by a cathedral of vines. "It is time you came with me Inuyasha," he said. "Your other half will be eager to see all of you."